Telling lies is considered immoral under "normal" circumstances. Keeping secrets from our love ones triggers guilt, creates anxiety, and most importantly obstructs the trust of friendship and family bonds. Annie was so emotionally overwhelmed with a secret that she became Sleepless in Kewaskum.
The truth was, for the first time in her life, she began to lie to her best friends of 30+ years. It was a favor that we had asked of her a month earlier, which imposed a White lie for Annie to carry around in the Snowy White Wisconsin Winter. She concealed the facts about Tim's trip and convinced Ron and Sandy to go on a detour to the airport on Saturday, Feb 16. It was the day that Tim departed from Charlotte and arrived at the Milwaukee airport. My father-in-law, Ron, almost fell off the lounge chair when Tim snuck up on him from behind. My mother-in-law, Sandy, was roaming around the ticketing area when the glimpse of her son suddenly shocked her.
To surprise Ron, in honor of his 60th birthday, was the most creative and the sweetest present we could come up with. Yet to startle Sandy, who is as much of a "control-freak" as I am, was indeed a triumph in this conspiracy. Mom and Dad were astonished, speechless, and head over heels. It was the very first unannounced visit in the family history! This article is devoted to Annie, for her sealed lips as well as the impeccable logistics to complete such an impossible mission.
I came up with this wild idea (go figure!) since my week-long business meeting in Texas stretched over the weekend. It sort of made sense to me to arrange a trip for Tim to spend some quiet time with his folks back home. It was only a two-night stay but the excitement during the month-long planning and the electrifying memory are going to last for many years to come!
